Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to Parents of Children Involved with Child Welfare: A Study of Racial and Ethnic Differences for American Indian Parents

Abstract

American Indian (AI) parents of children involved with child welfare were compared to White, Black and Hispanic parents on mental health and substance abuse problems and access to treatment. Data came from the National Study of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, a longitudinal study of a nationally representative sample of children aged 0-14 years involved with child welfare. Weighted statistics provided population estimates, and multivariate logistic regression was used to predict the likelihood of caregivers receiving mental health or substance abuse services. There were significant disparities in the likelihood of receiving mental health, but not substance abuse, services. Unmet need for mental health and substance abuse treatment characterized all parents in this study. AI parents fared the worst in obtaining mental health treatment. Parents of children at home and of older children were less likely to access mental health or substance abuse treatment.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and HIV Risk Behaviors among Rural American Indian/Alaska Native Women

“…Despite this trend, few studies have attempted to identify specific risk factors for HIV within this population. Based upon previous epidemiological findings within AI/AN communities, we examined the association among several important hypothesized potential risk factors, including trauma exposure, PTSD, and binge drinking (Beals et al, 2005; Deters, Novins, Fickenscher, & Beals, 2006; Liao et al, 2011; Libby et al, 2007). …”

“…Indeed, AI/AN women have higher lifetime rates of mental health disorders associated with trauma exposure, including PTSD, than those reported by non-AI/AN women (Laudenslager et al, 2009). Increased risk for trauma exposure and its associations with substance use and PTSD have received special attention from many AI/AN communities (Libby et al, 2007; Libby, Orton, Novins, Beals, & Manson, 2005; Whitesell, Beals, Mitchell, Manson, & Turner, 2009). …”

Service Referral Patterns Among Black and White Families Involved With Child Protective Services

“…Other scholars have posited that differential treatment may stem from differential attributions-for example, bias could arise when actions or circumstances are attributed to race rather than poverty, resulting in a tendency to pursue punitive, rather than serviceoriented interventions for Black families in poverty (Riveaux et al, 2011). Similar findings in child welfare indicate that Black and White families with similar needs may receive the same amount-but different types-of services (Dunbar & Barth, 2007;Libby et al, 2007). However, service receipt is not purely a reflection of caseworkers' actions-for caregivers to receive services, community agencies must be accessible and available to provide services, and caregivers must be able and willing to participate in them.…”

“…Indeed, some evidence suggests that the decision to provide services, and the amount and type of services offered, varies by the race of the child or parent, often with evidence suggesting that minority children and families receive fewer services, receive services that are inadequate to meet their Downloaded by [Korea University] at 08:26 26 December 2014 needs or are offered services for a shorter period of time (Courtney et al, 1996;Libby et al, 2007;Rodenborg, 2004;Unrau & Wells, 2005). However, the majority of this research pertains to foster care cases or CPS cases that were opened for ongoing monitoring.…”

Capacity for Delivering Culturally Competent Mental Health Services in New Mexico: Results of a Statewide Agency Survey

“…Department of Health and Human Services, 2001). Compared to whites, Native Americans are less likely to seek and receive mental health services, to visit mental health specialists, and to be prescribed psychotropic medications (Beals, Manson et al, 2005; Libby et al, 2007). A much higher percentage of Native Americans than whites use traditional healing services, an indication of the importance of non-Western forms of treatment within this population (Beals, Novins et al, 2005; Walls, Johnson, Whitbeck, & Hoyt, 2006).…”